Golf Rangefinder

Rangefinders are line-of-sight distance-measuring devices whose primary advantage is the speed by which they measure distances between two or more locations. Most rangefinders use invisible infrared lasers to measure these distances. A Golf Rangefinder is no different really than the military rangefinders.

A golf rangefinder is a laser rangefinder with built-in monoscopes and features that are specially helpful for golf players. These devices function mainly to provide distance measurements that are accurate to the yard or meter. Distances between holes (or greens) and across obstacles are crucial information during golf games. Knowledge of these distances helps the player to choose the right club to use while he or she is about to hit the ball that’s lying at any spot along the golf course.

Your golf rangefinder has microprocessors that calculate the distance between two locations by timing the return of the reflected laser beam. They are mainly used whenever the player has a direct line of sight to the target green, flag, or obstacle. Also, most golf rangefinders can be made to focus on objects that are behind partial obstructions, such as light foliage.

The most significant disadvantage when considering a golf rangefinder vs a golf gps system is that they cannot be used in cases when the view is totally obstructed (i.e., the player cannot directly sight a flag, green, hazard, etc. from where he stands).

Golf rangefinder are smart enough to take into account the effect of an inclined (or declined) fairway when calculating the distance to the next hole or green. A built-in digital inclinometer allows the microprocessor to know the angle of elevation or depression that the rangefinder makes with the target.

Golf Rangefinder

Some brands or models of golf rangefinder also take into account the influence of temperature and of elevation. The player usually needs to know the temperature and elevation data beforehand or to take temperature and elevation measurements at the current course, and then input these data into their golf rangefinder.

If you buy a top-of-the-line golf rangefinder it may have built-in digital thermometer, there are (as of yet and to my knowledge) no models or brands that offer golf rangefinders with built-in digital barometric altimeters (which are present in most high-end civilian GPS receivers). Also, note that some rangefinders for hunting or shooting practice come with built-in electronic (digital) compasses.

The normal golf rangefinder has a scan mode that allows the player to continually determine distances between his location and various spots/objects along the golf course. The choice of distance unit can be also selected from yard to meters and vice versa.

Other features that might be available include a basic club-selection guide that gives the user the best possible choice of club for every stroke. However, the player first needs to input his average hitting distances for at least three different club sizes (at given temperature and elevation conditions) before he can access this feature.

All, or almost all, of the golf rangefinder come in a low-profile, lightweight, rugged, waterproof or water-resistant design with fully coated monoscope and laser lens and simple controls that can usually be manipulated with just one hand. Monoscope magnification ranges from 6X and higher. Distance measurement values can reach up to 1,500 yards or more.

There are numerous brands and models of golf rangefinders that are available online or in sporting-goods stores. Often, a golf rangefinder from one brand will have similar or identical features to the other ones so keep an eye on the prices so you are not overpaying.